McGarrett Junior
by ivykit626
Summary: Steve had never mentioned her. Danny only found out because something happened, and he was with Steve when he got the call.
1. Chapter 1

**I meant to write this a while ago, but, sadly, have only just gotten to it. Thanks ssnyder9 for getting me thinking more about little Jesse. :3**

They had just finished up a case, and had just climbed into the camaro, Steve behind the wheel, like usual. That's when he got the call.

The ringtone surprised Danny.

"Isn't that a song from Tarzan?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Got a problem with than, Danno?" Steve asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Just a little weird, for you."

Steve rolled his eyes as he answered the phone. "Hey, what's up?"

Danny couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the phone, but based on Steve's varying expression, from happy at the call, to shocked and...was that fear?

"I'll be right there. Just stay put, ok?"

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, concerned.

"Family emergency." Steve muttered. He sped out of his parking spot, racing through the streets. Not even ten minutes later, they had arrived outside a house, Steve barely taking the time to stop the car. He dashed for the door, stopping before he got there and drawing his gun.

Danny cursed under his breath, jumping out of the car and drawing his own gun, following after Steve. Before he even got to the door, however, he heard gunfire. Cursing again, he entered the house cautiously, scanning rooms as he went.

The house was quiet now, though, and it didn't take Danny long to clear all the rooms.

"Steve?" He called. When there wasn't an answer, he called again, louder. "Steve!"

"In here!" Steve called back.

Danny followed his partner's voice, and ended up in what appeared to be the master bedroom. There was the body of a young woman, just visible from the doorway, laying on one side of the bed. Steve was crouched beside the body, checking for a pulse. He glanced up at Danny, his mouth set in a hard line as he shook his head.

He stood up, stepping over the body, and, as he passed Danny, who still stood in the doorway, he murmured, "Call Duke. Tell him he's got a crime scene to secure."

Danny wanted to ask why they were here, who had called Steve, who was this woman to him. But, Steve had already strolled off down the hallway.

Danny's brow lowered in concern, as he pulled out his phone and called Duke.

A minute later, he hung up and went down the hall, looking for Steve. He heard the SEAL's voice coming from one of the rooms ahead, but he was talking to quietly for Danny to catch the words.

"Steve?" Danny called softly, pushing open the door. "Duke's on his wa-" He froze, eyes on the small arms wrapped around Steve's neck. His eyes widened, and he met Steve's gaze as the SEAL turned his head.

Steve nodded, standing up slowly, the child in his arms. As he came over to the door, Danny backed up, letting him pass. The child still had her arms wrapped around Steve's neck, and her face buried against Steve's neck. He was shocked to see that, not only did the child have a prosthetic arm, but she also had a prosthetic leg, from the knee down. Her long-ish, dark hair was tied back in two braids, hanging about a third of the way down her back. She had her legs wrapped around Steve, much like how Grace clings to Danny when he picks her up.

Before Danny could ask anything about the girl, Steve walked past him, heading outside.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two! Thanks so much to all who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed! You guys rock. :3**

 **I'm planning on updating this, well, daily hopefully, but if that isn't how it goes, I apologize in advance.**

 **Anyway, on to the story!**

Steve carried her down the front steps, and over to the camaro. He set her down gently on the hood of the car, then crouched in front of her.

"Are you ok?" He asked, searching her face. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"Does it hurt anywhere?"

"No." She murmured. "You're hurt though, Sealio." She reached out, hand hovering over a spot on his bicep, where blood was soaking the fabric of his shirt.

Steve glanced at his arm. "It's just a graze." He said, turning back to her. "I'm fine."

"Where's mommy?"

Steve turned his head to the side, pressing his mouth against his arm.

"She's not coming back, is she?" She asked, tears gathering in her eyes.

Steve met her gaze, his own eyes damp with unshed tears. "No, Jesse, she's not."

Jesse really started crying now, leaning into Steve and sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his arms as he turned and leaned against the hood of the car. He kissed her head, brushing her hair out of her face with one hand, and then resting his cheek on her head.

They stayed like that until Duke arrived, other patrol cars following.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Steve straightened. He carried Jesse around the car, to the passenger side. He set her down, on her own feet, and opened to car door. Moving the seat forward, he held it there for her to climb into the back, then moved it back into position.

"I'll be right back. I'm just going to go grab some of your things, and Danny, and then we'll head out, okay?"

She nodded, settling back in the seat.

He ran back to the house, hopping up the steps, and through the front door.

Danny stepped out of the master bedroom, holding a picture frame in his gloved hands. "Is this your girlfriend's house?" He asked, gesturing towards Steve with the picture.

"Ex-wife's." Steve said, heading into Jesse's room.

"You were married?" Danny asked, stepping back into the master bedroom and replacing the picture, before following Steve into Jesse's room.

"Yes, Danny. I was married." Steve said, grabbing a blue and black backpack and emptying it on the bed. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Danny was about to say 'yes', when he stopped. He thought about it for a moment, then replied, "No, actually. It's not so hard to believe, weirdly."

Steve nodded his head slightly, as if thanking Danny for admitting that. He opened the closet door and pulled out some clothes, folding them and putting them in the backpack. Then he grabbed a few things off the desk, including a sketchbook and a pencil case, and added them to the bag. Opening a drawer in the desk, he pulled out a smallish pouch, and tucked it into the pack, on top of the sketchbook. Zipping the bag closed, he slung it over his shoulder, then grabbed a stuffed bear off the bed.

"Come on." Steve murmured, slipping past Danny again, heading down the hall to the front door.

Danny followed Steve out, and was a little surprised when the SEAL walked around to the passenger side. "You're not driving?"

"No, you go ahead." Steve said, climbing into the car.

Danny leaned down into the window, looking at Steve worriedly.

"Are you gonna get in or not?" Steve asked, throwing a scowl at Danny.

"Yeah, yeah." Danny muttered, climbing into the driver's seat.

As they started driving, Jesse turned her head to stare out the window, hands clasped in her lap. Steve kept glancing back at her, occasionally asking how she was doing.

Danny, having noticed the blood on Steve's arm, took advantage of Steve not really paying attention to where they were going, and took them to the hospital. Pulling into a parking space, he turned the car off, pulling his keys out of the ignition. He had expected Steve to snap at him, asking why they were there, but that's not what happened. Instead, Steve climbed out of the car, pulling the seat forward and taking the girl's hand to help her out of the back.

Danny blinked, surprised, before climbing out, and following them into the hospital.

Danny stood beside the bed, his arms crossed, thinking. Steve was currently getting his arm stitched up, and he kept glancing over to where the girl was getting looked over.

"Wait..." Danny said, causing Steve's attention to focus on him. "So, if that was your ex-wife's place, then she," He nodded towards the girl.

"Is my daughter, Jesse." Steve replied.

"How old is she?" Danny asked.

"Seven and a half." Steve said.

 _Half a year older than Grace_. Danny thought.

"What happened to her..." Danny asked, waving his hand in a 'you know' gesture.

"Arm? Leg?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow at Danny.

"Yeah."

"She was born without them." Steve said. "It's called Amelia, or Meromelia. The absence, or partial absence, of limbs when a child is born."

"Doesn't that affect other things as well? Like, her organs and the like?" Danny asked.

"It can, but not with Jesse. She's lucky." Steve said. "She was born just missing her left arm, just above her elbow, and her left leg, just below her knee. She doesn't have any other symptoms or anomalies from it."

Danny released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. "That's good."

"Yes, it is." Steve murmured.

"Alright, Commander McGarrett. I'm all finished with your stitches." The nurse said.

"Thanks." Steve said, pulling his sleeve back down, covering the new bandage. He stood up and wandered over to Jesse, who was sitting on a bed on the other side of the room. Danny followed him, hanging back a bit.

"Hey, kiddo." Steve said.

Jesse had her head down, her hands folded in her lap, and her legs swinging slightly.

"Mr. McGarrett, I'm finished with the examination." The doctor said.

Steve followed the woman a few steps away.

"Your daughter is only suffering from a mild case of shock, which is understandable. Although I would have thought her symptoms would have been a bit more severe, based on what you told me when you came in." She said, holding a chart, presumably Jesse's. "I recommend keeping a close eye on her, make sure she drinks lots. If she seems any worse than she is now, or she doesn't seem to recover, I want you to bring her back in. Okay?"

Steve nodded. "I can take her home now, though?"

"Yes, she can go home." The doctor said, smiling reassuringly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry everyone. I said I'd update daily, but I already broke that. So, here's chapter 3. It's not all that long, sadly, but I thought I'd update with something. I'm planning on trying to get another chapter out today, but if I don't, sorry in advance. :3**

 **Anyway, here you guys go.**

Danny pulled up outside the McGarrett household.

"Thanks, Danny." Steve murmured, before climbing out of the car, sliding the seat forward so Jesse could climb out. Steve closed the car door, placing one hand on top of Jesse's head as she passed him.

Jesse stopped just behind Steve, her stuffed bear clutched in her arms, and her backpack slung over one shoulder. As Steve leaned down to talk to Danny through the window, Jesse lifted her bear up to her face, as if hiding behind it.

"I'm taking the rest of the day off." Steve said.

Danny nodded, not really knowing what to say, for once.

"See you later." Steve said, standing up and turning to head inside. He put one hand on Jesse's shoulder, pulling her against his side as they walked.

Steve opened the door and walked inside. He headed for the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

When there was no answer, he stopped and turned around. "Jesse?" He said, softer now.

She looked up at him, her bear pressed against her face again. Then she dropped into a crouch, sniffling and trying not to sob.

Steve was at her side in a matter of seconds. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into his lap as he sat down. They stayed like that until Jesse cried herself out, and then a little longer still. When he leaned back a little, just enough to see his daughter's face, he saw she had fallen asleep.

He kissed her head, then stood up, settling Jesse on his hip. He carried her upstairs, pushing open her bedroom door with his foot. Stepping into the room, he moved over to her bed, and carefully lowered her down onto the mattress. He put her backpack down on the floor, beside the bed, and then tucked her in.

Before he turned to leave, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then, he quietly left Jesse's room, leaving the door mostly open.

At first, Jesse slept peacefully. She dreamt about playing with her mom and her dad; of going on picnics, back when her parents were together; of her mom taking her to the park, and playing with other kids; the time when her dad took her out on a hiking trip.

Then her dreams began twisting, morphing into nightmares. She went from hiking with her dad, to getting lost in the jungle. She would be playing at the park with some other kids, and then she'd be all alone, racing around, frantically searching for someone, for _anyone_. She was at home, baking cookies with her mom, and then her mom was laying on the ground, blood pooling underneath her.

Jesse woke up, gasping for breath as tears streamed down her face. Her heart pounding, she looked around, her heart slowing as she recognized her room at her dad's house. She kicked the blankets off, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Rubbing the tears off her cheeks, she stood up, grabbing her bear. She left her room, went down the small hallway, and slowly walked down the stairs, one hand on the railing. She stopped a few steps from the bottom, listening to her dad in the kitchen. Her heart slowed even more, steadying out, as she listened to her dad.

She took a deep breath, before going down the last few steps and walking into the kitchen. She grinned slightly, hiding it behind her bear, as she crept into the kitchen, and climbed onto a bar stool by the island counter. She sat there, quietly listening to Steve, who was humming under his breath as he made what smelled like muffins, or something.

Steve spun around, a spatula in his hand, when Jesse giggled softly. He had been dancing as he hummed.

He grinned, then noticed her red-rimmed eyes, and the faint marks of tears still on her cheeks. "Are you ok?" He asked. "I mean-"

"I know what you mean, Sealio." Jesse murmured. "I'm fine. Just nightmares."

Steve was quiet a moment, watching her intently. "You don't have to do that, you know."

She tilted her head a little to the side. "Do what?"

"Act like it was nothing." Steve said. "I'm not going to think any less of you, no matter what happens. Okay?"

Jesse was quiet a moment, then she nodded.

"Okay, good." Steve said, smiling again. "Now, do you want some muffins?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter! It's not long, but I thought I'd upload it anyway. I appreciate the comments so much! You guys have brought up some important things that I hadn't really thought of before. That's part of the reason I've been slow on updating. I've been thinking on the details of this story more. :3**

 **I hope to get it a little more straightened out in my head soon, so I can keep writing and updating consistently.**

 **Anyway, here you guys go! Hope you enjoy.**

Steve had planned on taking at least a few days off, but unfortunately, that was not meant to be. The next morning, as he was finishing breakfast with Jesse, he got a call about a group of missing kids.

He bustled her out the door and into his truck. As he pulled out of the driveway and got on the road, he said, "I'm sorry. I know I said we'd hang out at the house today."

"It's ok." Jesse said, turning to look at him. "You're my Sealio, but you're not just mine. I can't hog you all to myself, even if I want to."

He glanced over at her, eyes widened, and mouth slightly agape, in surprise. "Right." He finally said.

The rest of the ride, Jesse stared out the window.

Steve pulled into his parking spot outside the palace. He shut the truck off, pulling his keys out of the ignition.

Jesse opened her door and hopped out. Then she reached back in and grabbed her backpack, which still had everything Steve had put in it, except the clothes.

Slamming her door shut, she caught up to Steve, who had stopped and was waiting for her. Together they headed into the palace and up to Five-0 HQ. Arriving on the correct floor, Steve led Jesse into his office.

"Can you hang out in here, while I work?" He asked, looking just slightly unsure.

Jesse nodded and sat down on the couch.

Turns out, those missing kids? They weren't kidnapped, like their parents thought. They had wandered off on their camping trip, and gotten lost in the jungle. None of them were really injured. A few scratches, some bruises, a twisted ankle, a little dehydrated. Nothing super serious.

Jesse let out a sigh of relief once Steve told her. "That's good." She said.

"Yes, it is." Steve said. "How was your day?"

"It was fine. Quiet." She said.

Steve was about to say something else, when Jesse stomach growled.

She smiled slightly, and said, "Can we get something to eat?"

Steve chuckled. "Yeah. Come on."

He held open his office door for her, then followed her out into the bullpen. "You guys hungry?" He asked Chin and Kono, who were doing something at the tech table.

"Yeah." Kono said, flashing a grin at Steve.

"You buying?" Chin asked.

"For us," He waved between himself and Jesse. "Yes."

Kono leaned to the side, just enough to see Jesse around Steve. "Hello." She said, with a smile.

"Hi." Jesse said, shyly.

"I'm Kono."

"Jesse." She said, shifting her feet nervously. "McGarrett."

Kono blinked, a little surprised. Danny _had_ mentioned Steve having a daughter, but she hadn't really believed it. She glanced over at Steve, who stood there, looking almost...defiant. Or defensive.

Chin smiled. "Nice to meet you, Jesse. I'm Chin."

Jesse hesitated a moment, then stepped out from behind her dad, and held her hand out to Chin. He shook her hand firmly, the smile still in place on his face. Once they were done shaking hands, Jesse held her hand out to Kono, who also shook it, looking amused.

Jesse stomach grumbled again, and she blushed.

"Let's go." Steve said, putting a hand on Jesse's shoulder and heading for the door. He stopped at Danny's office, pushing open the door and sticking his head in. "We're gonna go get something to eat, wanna come?"

"Sure." Danny said, pushing back his chair and standing up. He grabbed his keys and phone, and came out of his office, following after the rest of his team.


	5. Chapter 5

So, here's an update for all those people who've been, rather patiently, awaiting it. I hope it's enough. (I'm not super confident in this one) I'll try to update again sometime this week. And for those who're waiting for the rest of Danny's Adventures With Lockpicking (DAWL), I'll try and finish that either tomorrow, or later this week.

They met at Kamekona's shrimp truck, sitting around their usual table.

"You're a surfer, right?" Jesse quietly asked Kono.

"Yep. Do you surf?" Kono said.

"I haven't started lessons yet. I was supposed to start in a couple months."

Danny stood up, waving Steve away from the table. They walked over to where the camaro was parked, and leaned against it.

"What's up?" Steve asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"How come you never told me about Jesse? We've been partners for over a year!"

Steve stared into Danny's eyes for a long moment, as if searching them for something, then he glanced away. "It's not exactly that I didn't _want_ to tell you." He said. "I tried a few times, but I could never get it all out. It kinda felt like...well, the closer I got to telling you, the harder it got to breathe."

Danny frowned, his brow furrowing.

Steve grumbled. "I don't know! It would be right on the tip of my tongue, then..."

"Then what, Steven?" Danny asked.

Steve sighed. "Then part of me would panic, and I wouldn't tell you."

Danny stared at Steve, puzzled. This was so... un-Steve-like.

Steve glanced over at Danny. "What?"

"Nothing." Danny said, then grinned. "You're just so different as PapaSEAL."

Steve groaned. "Can we stick with SuperSEAL? If you _have_ to use a ridiculous nickname."

"Nope. Cause you're only SuperSEAL when we're in the field. You're OfficeSEAL when we're doing paperwork. ChefSEAL when we come over for barbeques, which we should do more often. Grace and Jesse would make good friends." Danny said, smiling. "And now we can add PapaSEAL when you're with Jesse."

Steve rolled his eyes. "You've put some thought into that, haven't you."

"Maybe a bit."

"Hey, boss! If you don't hurry up, we're gonna eat your lunch!" Kono called.

"If you do, you're buying me another one!" Steve called back, dashing back to the table. He was greeted by Kono and Jesse's giggles.

Steve smiled adoringly down at his little girl. They had returned to the office after lunch, and on the way back, Jesse had fallen asleep. Steve had carried her upstairs to his office, and laid her down on the couch, covering her with a blanket that had been folded on one arm of said couch.

He brushed her hair out of her face, before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Steve sighed, sitting down heavily in his chair. He had to plan his ex-wife's funeral. Technically, someone else from her family should have been planning it, but she had been an only child, and her parents had died a few years back.

He rubbed his hands down his face, then leaned his elbows on his desk, resting his chin on one hand.

He smiled at the memory of their first meeting.

 _He had been on leave, and had returned to Hawaii for a few days. He had been in casual clothes, and was wandering around on the beach, just enjoying the nice day. He noticed a group of young women, probably close to his own age, pointing at him, and seemingly conversing. He smiled at them politely, and was just turning around, when one of them ran up to him._

" _Hey, I have a question." The woman said, grinning mischievously at him._

 _He stopped, turning to face her. "Ok?"_

" _So, here's the thing. I don't know you, and you don't know me." She said, her eyes twinkling rather alluringly. "_ Buuuutttt _, there's a competition going on down the beach, where the couple who can hold hands the longest wins a thousand dollars." She rocked back on her sandalled feet, her hands clasped behind her back. "Whaddya say? Split the winnings fifty-fifty?"_

 _Steve tilted his head, considering. "How long does the contest last?"_

" _Until there's no one left."_

" _So, we'd just be holding hands?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows._

" _Well, there's some mini-contests. Horse-shoe throwing, ribbon-braiding, cookie decorating. Some other little games."_

 _Steve nodded after a short moment, smiling._

" _Great!" She grinned. "My name's Brianna."_

" _I'm Steve." He held out his hand._

 _Brianna grabbed his hand, gave it a firm shake, and then didn't let go._

 _Steve's eyebrows lifted again. "We're already starting?"_

" _Yep!"_

Steve sighed, and slowly pushed his chair back from his desk. Standing up, he walked over to Danny's office, knocking on the doorframe lightly.

Danny looked up as Steve stuck his head through the door.

"I'm gonna head home. Can you hold down the fort?"

"Yeah, no problem." Danny replied.

"Thanks." Steve said. "Call me if anything happens." He added, letting the door close behind him, as he headed back to his office to collect his daughter.

Danny watched Steve walk to his office. He looked tired, drawn, his shoulders slumped just enough to be noticeable.

Not for the first time, Danny wondered what he could do to help. He made the decision, that if anything _were_ to happen while Steve was at home, he wouldn't call. He'd give his partner some time with his daughter.

Steve had just left the palace. He was halfway across the parking lot, heading for his truck, Jesse settled against his hip with her head resting on his shoulder. His keys were in his hand, and he was just reaching for the passenger side door, when Jesse jerked awake in his arms.

She looked around in a panic, her eyes coming to rest on her dad's face. Tears began spilling from her scared blue eyes as she stared at Steve. Taking a hiccuping breath, she wrapped her arms around Steve's neck and buried her face into the curve between his neck and shoulder.

"I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere. I've got you." Steve said, switching his keys to his hand that was holding Jesse, so he could rub her back in soothing circles.

"Whaddya say we go home, change into our pj's and curl up on the couch to watch a movie?" Steve asked quietly, still rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Jesse sniffled and nodded against Steve's neck.

"Alright." Steve said. He switched his keys back into his free hand, and opened the passenger door of his truck. Then, he carefully set Jesse down on the seat, wrapping her up in a hug, and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

Jesse slowly released her grip on Steve, settling back against the seat as her dad pulled the seatbelt around her, clicking it into the latch.

As Steve closed the door, he noticed Jesse tapping her right hand on her leg, her gaze travelling around the inside of the truck.

He tapped his hand on the open window frame before walking around the truck to his door. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he pulled the door open and climbed into his truck.

"You ready?" He asked, looking over at his daughter.

Jesse glanced at her dad and nodded quickly, before turning to stare out the window.

"Alright. Let's head on home then."

They arrived home, and Jesse, after an encouraging nod from her dad, went upstairs to her room and changed into her pajamas. She came back downstairs, clutching a stuffed bear.

"Hey sweetheart." Steve said from the doorway to the kitchen, smiling gently when he saw Jesse at the bottom of the stairs. "How're you feeling?"

Jesse shook her head slightly, bringing her bear up to cover the bottom half of her face.

"Don't wanna talk yet?" Steve asked.

Jesse shook her head again, not lowering the bear from her face.

"That's fine." Steve said, a soft smile still on his face. "You don't have to talk. Alright?"

Her eyes flickered around the room before finally settling back on her father. She dipped her head in a single nod.

"Why don't you go pick a movie, while I go pull on some pjs?" Steve asked.

Jesse hesitated a moment, looking slightly afraid to go into the family room alone. She took a deep breath, still clutching her bear to her face, before walking into the family room and crouching in front of the shelves.

Steve walked up the stairs, pausing at the top to watch his child for a moment, before continuing on to his bedroom. He pulled a pair of plaid pajama pants and a soft cotton t-shirt out of his closet and pulled them on, then walked back out and down the stairs.

"You picked a movie?" He asked, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

Jesse nodded, not looking away from the movie shelf.

"Alright," He smiled. "Do you want snacks?"

Jesse nodded again.

"'Kay," He said. "I'll be right back." He walked into the kitchen, and pulled out an avocado, some pre-made sushi rice, mayonnaise, sriracha hot sauce, and seaweed sushi wraps.

He laid all the ingredients out on the counter, and quickly put together the snack sushi. Placing the sushi rolls on a plate, he placed a dollop of spicy mayo on each of them, before grabbing a bowl and filling it with cheeto puffs. He brought the plate and bowl out into the family room, and placed them on the coffee table, before going back into the kitchen and getting two glasses of cream soda.

He went back into the family room, and placed the two glasses on the coffee table again, and then sat on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on.

"You wanna put your movie in?" Steve asked.

Jesse opened the case and slipped the movie into the DVD player, not lowering her bear from her nose. After pushing the close button on the DVD player, she stood up and crept over to the couch, and climbed up on the couch beside her dad, curling up against his side.

Steve wrapped his arm around Jesse, gently rubbing her arm. He was quiet as the movie started, but as the opening scene began, he said, "Spirited Away? Good choice." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Do you want any snacks?"

Jesse silently leaned forwards, and picked up a piece of sushi, taking a bite.

"How'd I do? Are they okay?" Steve asked.

Jesse fished her piece of sushi, nodding.

"Good," steve said, smiling softly. "Can I have some?"

She nodded again, grabbing another piece for herself, and leaning back.

Steve leaned forwards and grabbed the plate, picking up a piece of sushi and sticking it in his mouth. "Mmm..." Steve hummed. "Those are good. Next time, why don't we make some together, and try a few different kinds?"

Jesse pondered the question as she chewed her second piece of sushi. When she finished it, she shrugged, and then nodded again.

"Great," He said, kissing the top of her head again. "I'll look forward to it."

They sat curled up on the couch, watching Spirited Away and eating snacks until Jesse fell asleep, with about twenty minutes left in the movie.

Steve smiled softly down at his little angel, gently rubbing her arm and listening to her breath. He considered moving her up to her bed, but decided to just let her sleep on the couch with him, in case she had a nightmare.

Carefully, so as not to jar her, he moved the dishes back to the coffee table, and rearranged Jesse until she was laying more comfortably against him.

He leaned back against the couch, turning the volume down a little on the TV, and gently running his hand over his daughter's hair. He had so much to do, including planning his ex-wife's funeral, and getting his daughter settled back in his house, and helping her get used to life without her mom, and so many other things. But today, he was just going to lay on the couch, with his daughter beside him, and an animated movie playing on the TV.

All those other things could wait until tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud crash. He jerked awake, his hand reaching towards the small stand beside the couch, automatically seeking his gun. His hand froze over the arm of the couch when he realized Jesse was no longer on the couch with him.

He jumped up off the couch, nearly tripping on the blanket that got tangled around his feet. _Jesse must have pulled it over me when she got up._ Steve thought, the idea slowing his racing heart marginally.

He dashed into the kitchen, his heart jamming itself in his throat when he saw Jesse crouched on the floor by the sink, her arms over her head, and broken glass around her feet.

"Jesse?" He said carefully, trying to keep his fear and worry out of his voice.

She jerked at the sound of his voice, nearly overbalancing and falling over. One of her hands swung out and braced against the cupboard under the sink, correcting her balance. He head turned towards the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide and filling with tears as she saw her dad.

"Hey, hey, hey," Steve said gently, his hands moving in front of him, palms facing the floor. "It's gonna be okay. I want you to stay there for a moment, okay? There's quite a bit of broken glass around you, and I don't want you to get hurt, so don't move, 'kay?"

Jesse glanced down at the ground in front of her, then nodded slowly, her gaze focused on the glass. She tilted her head, watching the light catch on the glass.

Steve strode to the front door and pulled on some sandals, then walked back to the kitchen, pulling open a closet along the way and grabbing a broom and dustpan. He moved into the kitchen and carefully walked over to Jesse, slowly beginning to sweep the glass away from his child, and into a small pile.

He took his time, making sure he got each piece swept away from Jesse, onto the dustpan, and into the garbage. When he was sure he'd collected all the broken glass, he helped his daughter to her feet.

"Are you alright? Did you get cut?" He asked, his brows furrowed in concern, and his eyes already beginning to roam over to, looking for any sign of injury.

Jesse wiggled a little in his grasp, before shaking her head no.

Steve's worried blue eyes focused on Jesse's sea blue eyes, as he asked, "Are you positive?"

Jesse nodded, her small hands reaching up and grabbing onto Steve's shirt.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?" He asked carefully, not wanting it to seem like he was going back on his earlier statement about not making her talk.

Jesse's gaze slid to the side as she considered the question, her small brows scrunching up in thought. Hesitantly, she nodded, not looking at her dad.

"Ok," Steve said, smiling a small, reassuring smile at her. "Do you want to go to the living room to talk?"

Jesse nodded again, then stretched her arms up as Steve straightened.

He leaned down and picked her up, settling her against his hip, and placing a soft kiss on her cheek. He walked back into the living room, and sat down the couch again, shifting Jesse so that she was on his lap, and facing him.

Jesse pulled her knees up, and squished them up against her dad's sides. She settled her hands on her lap, her fingers beginning to tap on each other. Her gaze went from her fingers, to her father's eyes, then back down to her hands.

Steve lifted one hand up and began rubbing soothing circles on the base of her back. "You don't have to talk yet, if you don't want to."

Jesse glanced back up at Steve, her eyes widening slightly as she shook her head quickly. "I-" She started, then cleared her throat and started again. "I was getting a glass of water." She said, her gaze sliding to the side as she spoke in a soft voice. "Something moved outside, and it reminded me of-of-" She stuttered, her eyes beginning to fill with tears again.

"It's okay, I understand," Steve said quickly. "I'm sorry. I know it was scary." He went from rubbing circles on her back, to rubbing up and down along her spine. "I can go outside and make sure there's no one out there, if that would make you feel better?"

Jesse sniffled, then nodded slightly.

"Alright," Steve said, a small smile quirking up the side of his lips, but not reaching his eyes. "Do you wanna wait here, or by the back door, or come out with me?"

"At the door," Jesse mumbled after a moment of consideration.

Steve nodded, and stood up again, bringing Jesse with him. He kissed her temple, as he walked into the kitchen and through to the back door. Carefully, he lowered Jesse to the floor beside the door, one hand coming up to rest on top of her head, as he flicked on the outside lights.

"I'll be right back, 'kay?"

Jesse nodded again, her hands coming up to bunch in the hem of her shirt.

Steve patted her head before pushing open the door and walking outside. He did a quick, but thorough look around the yard, checking in the bushes, and around the side of the house, even down by the beach, before coming back inside.

Jesse turned her scared face up to look at her dad questioningly.

"Nobody there, Jess," Steve said, crouching down in front of her. "Do you wanna go back to bed?"

"'Kay," Jesse murmured, still clutching at the hem of her shirt.

"Your bed, or back to the couch?"

"Couch."

Steve nodded and picked Jesse up as he stood. "Did you still need a drink?" He asked before they left the kitchen.

Jesse shook her head, before burrowing her face into the crook of Steve's neck.

"Okay," Steve murmured, going back to the living room and lowering Jesse down onto the couch. He picked the blanket up off the floor and tucked it in around her. He sat down at the end of the couch, letting her tuck her feet under his leg.

He sat there beside her until she fell asleep, humming a soft lullaby. Once she was asleep, Steve leaned forwards and grabbed his laptop off the coffee table.

It was unlikely he'd get anymore sleep, since he had way too much on his mind. So, he might as well begin to plan Brianna's funeral.

Opening his laptop, he pulled up a word document, and began to arrange his ex-wife's service.

* * *

Steve jolted awake, flinching back when he was confronted with his daughter's face mere inches from his own.

"What is it?" He asked, his heart racing. "Is something wrong?"

Jesse shook her head, then backed up a half a foot and held up the phone.

Steve glanced from the phone, to Jesse's face. "Who is it?"

Jesse pushed the phone closer to Steve, who took it, and then let out a small sigh as Jesse bounced back to the coffee table. Looked like she was back to not talking.

"Hello?" Steve said into the phone, his other hand coming up and rubbing at his eyes. He didn't remember falling asleep. His hand froze as he realized that if he didn't recall falling asleep, then he must've still had his laptop in his lap when he did fall asleep.

"Jesse, where's my computer?" He asked, tilting the bottom of the phone away from his mouth.

Jesse pointed to the side table beside the couch, without taking her eyes off her drawing.

Steve glanced over his shoulder at the table, breathing out a soft sigh of relief to see his computer there.

"Steven, are you there?" A voice asked through the phone.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" Steve said. "Good morning, by the way, Danno."

"Oh, right. Good morning." Danny said.

"What're you calling about?" Steve asked, smiling as he watched Jesse color her drawing.

"I didn't wanna bother you, but there's a lawyer, or something, here to talk to you." Danny said. "I don't know why he came to the office instead of your house, but he did."

"What?" Steve said, his eyes narrowing. "What does he want?"

"I think it's something about Jesse?" Danny replied.

"What about Jesse?" Steve asked tensely, standing up and walking into the kitchen, patting Jesse's head as he passed.

"I'm not sure, Steve." Danny said. "He doesn't wanna talk to me."

"Okay." Steve muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tell him I'll be there in about half an hour."

"You sure?" Danny asked. "I can tell him to come back later in the week."

"No, it's probably best to get whatever this is over with." Steve replied. "I'll be there in half an hour, with Jesse."

"Okay." Danny said. "I'll see you then."

"Yeah," Steve said, staring at the counter in his kitchen, his mind whirling. "Thanks Danno."

"Anytime."

Steve hung up the phone, then ran a hand through his hair.

He walked into the living room, and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Jesse," He began, looking over at her. "I have to go into work for a moment, to talk to someone, so I want you to go get whatever you wanna bring with you, like a book or something, and change into something else to wear, kay?"

Jesse nodded, standing up and walking over to the stairs too.

"You can wear whatever you want, but I do want you to change into fresh clothes. And I don't know how long I'll be, so make sure you do bring something to do."

"Okay, Sealio," She mumbled, moving past him and up the stairs.

Steve watched her walk into her room, and push the door closely quietly, before he climbed the stairs himself.

Twelve minutes later, they were heading out the door and climbing into Steve's truck.

* * *

Steve pulled into his parking space and shut the truck off.

"You ready, Jess?" He asked, turning to his daughter.

Jesse nodded, grabbing her backpack and undoing her seatbelt.

Steve climbed out of his truck, walked around it, and pulled open Jesse's door. He reached in, hooked his hands under her arms, and lifted her down. He closed the door, and locked the truck.

Jesse lifted her hand and slipped it into Steve's. Together, they walked into Five-0 Headquarters.

Once they were upstairs, Steve walked to Danny's door, and knocked. Pushing the door open enough so he could stick his head in, he spoke, "Hey Danno, is it okay if Jesse hangs out in here while I talk to that lawyer?"

"Yeah, of course." Danny said, looking up from his paperwork.

"Thanks." Steve said, backing out of the door for a moment.

Next time the door opened, Jesse came into the office.

"Hi Jesse," Danny said, smiling.

"Hi," Jesse said quietly. "Is it okay if I sit in the corner?"

"Yeah, if that's where you wanna sit." Danny replied.

Jesse nodded, then moved into the corner, sitting down on the floor and pulling a sketchbook out of her backpack.

Steve watched as Jesse settled in in Danny's office before he walked over to his own office. He pushed open the door and walked in.

"Hello," He said, holding out his hand for the lawyer to shake. "I'm Steve McGarrett. I heard you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, sir. That'd be correct." The man said. "My name is Samuel Graham, I was your ex-wife's lawyer."

"I don't mean to be rude, Mr Graham, but what exactly do you want to talk about?" Steve asked, moving behind his desk, and crossing his arms.

"This might seem a little quick, but I have some papers for you to sign." Samuel said. "Your wife wanted to be prepared for when she died, so she had me set everything up for her."

Steve blinked, frowning in question. "Like what?"

"Well, she had me set up a custody document, stating that if anything were to happen to her, you would get full custody, and that under no circumstances did she want Jesse to go into the foster system. She also had me help her with her will, where almost everything goes to you and Jesse, with a few specific items going to charity or her friends."

"Why would she set this all up? Was she sick?" Steve asked.

"Not that I know of, no. I think she just wanted to be prepared, sir." Samuel said. "Oh, also, she had me help her set up how she wanted her funeral, and she had already paid for most of it, I believe."

"What?"

"She chose how she wanted to be buried." Samuel said. "When I met her, she was very focused on choosing how so wanted to be treated after she passed. She decided to have a pod burial. One of those ones where a tree is planted on top of her body, instead of a headstone. She'd been making regular payments to the company, so that when she died you wouldn't have to worry about planning her funeral. She made it very clear to me, that she had no desire to stack all that on your shoulders."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, gripping the back of his neck as he absorbed all this new information.

"If you'll just sign the paperwork, I can get out of your hair." Samuel said.

"Oh, uh, right." Steve said, focusing back on the lawyer, and dropping his hand back to his side. He dropped into his desk chair and picked up a pen.

Samuel pulled a folder out of his briefcase and placed it in front of Steve on his desk. He pointed out where he needed Steve to sign them, then stood back.

Steve finished signing the papers, and slipped them back into their folder before passing them back to the lawyer.

"In regards to Brianna's funeral, the only things you have to concern yourself over, are the remaining balance she owes to the company, the date, and the obituary." Samuel said. He pulled a single page out of his briefcase and placed it on Steve's desk. "That has all the relevant information about the company Brianna chose, as well as all the information you need to get it all set up."

"Thank you, Mr Graham." Steve said, standing up and reaching over his desk to shakes the man's hand again.

"You're welcome, Mr McGarrett." Samuel said, walking out of the office.

Steve flopped back down in his chair and stared at the page in front of him. He was not reading it, however, because his mind was preoccupied with everything he had just learned from Samuel Graham.

In all the years he'd known Brianna, he had never thought she'd be the type of person who planned out her own funeral, or the type of person to get things set up in advance.

He placed his head in his hands, hit by a sudden wave of grief.


End file.
